Let's Play A Love Game
by Morbidly Obscure
Summary: Jenny, Julian, and "Alice in Wonderland." What insanity is this? Takes place during the second game. Come on, read, you know you want to.
1. Prologue

_**Er…no relation to the song.**_

_**So, this is just for fun. Just something to put off me actually finishing some of my other stories. Oops, Did I say that out loud? Heh. Rated T, because, well, Julian. Yeah. Also, Lewis Carroll, I am so sorry for doing…this**_** to your work. Please don't wreak vengeance on me.**

**Warnings: OOC-ness-I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH-short chapters, occasional damage done to the fourth wall, and over-all stupidity. **

**I own nothing.**

**Now,**

_*****__Let's Play a Love Game *_

_All these annotations…_ Jenny flipped through the dog-eared pages of the red, gold-embossed book Michael had produced earlier, _Call me closed-minded, but this whole book reads like a bad trip rather than an allegorical masterpiece._

Hm, that wasn't good. Lack of sleep made Jenny's internal monologue snarky.

Stressed to the max and riddled with a sudden onset of insomnia, Jenny's now-glazed green eyes found themselves scanning over and over the mockingly playful lines of a certain Lewis Carroll poem. There were no other discernable clues hidden inside the nonsensical verses, not that she'd expected much. Julian was a first-class show off, and he didn't like to repeat any trick twice if he could help it for fear of becoming-_God forbid_-predictable. In another life he may have made a very good magician at kids parties.

All the same, the compendium in Jenny's hands did have something to offer, minor though it was. Obviously, surreality was the word of the day, and stories such as the included _Alice in Wonderland_ were the ultimate lessons in all things bizarre.

Jenny had hoped that the notorious childhood classic would give her some vital insight, or readjust her mindset to help her think outside the proverbial box, but all it ended up giving her was one hell of a headache.

_Well fine,_ Jenny shoved the volume away in frustration, _maybe it will make some sense later-when I'm not sleep-deprived. _

Still, even as she lay herself down on the less-than-comfortable floor of Michael's apartment and squeezed her eyes shut against the darkness, peculiar images conjured by the peculiar book continued to swim through the churning, ADD soup of over-tired thoughts wreaking havoc in her head.

3

"_Alice in Wonderland, _hm?" Julian cut an amused glance to the unconscious blonde (who looked absolutely adorable while asleep, but don't get distracted) as he fingered the discarded book. It was a story he knew well-one might be surprised as to how many children had nightmares regarding bloodthirsty monarchs or creepily smiling felines.

Of course, Julian knew exactly what this would have to entail.

_Oh, this is going to be __**fun**__._

**You like? You hate? Tell me! Nothing good ever comes from bottling things up, you know…**


	2. Chasing Dreams

**Level One: Chasing Dreams**

**3**

Jenny's first thoughts upon waking up: _Oh crap, I'm blind._

Then she realized it was still dark out-to early to be awake. The sky outside the windows was eerie, fluorescent purple, and the stars seemed to hang unnaturally close, like huge crystal baubles on a chandelier.

_The sky does strange things when no one's looking…_

The thought unsettled Jenny causing her little fingers to tingle in that _Shit's-About-To-Go-Down _way. Choosing to ignore her body's bizarre early-warning system and go back to sleep, Jenny took a last look around the room and noticed something very strange: it was empty. That was…odd. Maybe she should have listened to her fingers. Jenny stood up, skirts brushing together with a soft rustling noise.

_Wait…what?_

Jenny looked down to see that she was, in fact, wearing an outfit entirely different from the one she'd gone to sleep in. A just-short-enough-to be-uncomfortable blue dress with a-what are those things called again?-pinafore replaced the sweat suit Michael had lent her, accompanied by a pair of black and white striped, thigh-high socks, and-Oh God, are those _garters?_ From the shiny little boots that squeezed her feet in all the wrong ways to the bow-smattered headband in her hair, all of Jenny's accessories were white and rather frilly. Nothing good can come of this.

_**Flash**_

A bright white blur in Jenny's peripheral vision. The blonde frowned; Audrey was the only one of her friends who wore white, and she was, well…Jenny wasn't sure _where_ the fashion martyr was other than "not here." All the same,

"Audrey?"

Jenny started in the direction of the whiteness and stopped at the end of the hallway.

_Okay, someone's messing with me._

_**Flash**_

Again, to the right. Jenny had glimpsed the swish of what looked like a floor-length white fur coat. Like something extravagant a celebrity might have worn before environmentalism was in vogue. Again, she followed, disregarding the voice in her mind-what was that thing called? Oh yeah, the Voice of Reason-that told her Michael's apartment only had one main hallway.

_**Flash**_

There, in that room. Jenny, wasn't sure when she'd started running, but now she stopped hard. Flushed with excitement from the chase, the blonde passed through the doorway triumphantly.

_But…that's impossible._

The room was dark and utterly empty, aside from the swathing of strangely-shaped shadows that coated the opposite wall in complete darkness. The reality of the situation hit home then.

_I just chased a fur coat through my friend's apartment._

Jenny rolled her eyes at the sheer ridiculous-ness of the situation, then her eyes focused-mid-roll-on the other half of the room. It really shouldn't be that dark, and…were those shadows _moving?_ She stepped forward, leaning to get a better look at the churning darkness in front of her. They looked almost like spider webs, the shadows, like spider webs…

Just a little closer…closer…closer…

"Eep!"

She flinched back slightly as a small, round object skidded out from the shadows into the middle of the room. Curious, Jenny strode halfway across the floor and picked up the thing. A…pocket watch? It was black and shiny, perhaps made from onyx, attached to a pearl chain. Random numbers embossed on the inside, but there were other things, too.

_Runes_, Jenny recognized instantly, _I really should have stayed in bed._

But what do they-

Stop. Another presence in the room, right next to her.

A brush against her cheek, a voice,

"No such thing as time where you're going."

Surprised, Jenny looked around. No one there. Then she looked down. A black hole that looked awfully familiar, the edges crackling with aqua light.

"When did _that_ get there, and how the hell did I not notice?"

And then she was falling.

**Level One Complete**

**3**

**Pft. Longer this time. Thanks to the two people who reviewed, and to everyone who favorite-ed this! If you're one of the latter people, how about dropping a review this time around, eh?**


	3. Double Exposure

**Level Two: Double Exposure**

**3**

_Ow._

The ground was hard, cool, and would probably leave bruises. If there'd been anything besides air accompanying Jenny on her seemingly endless fall, she hadn't known. At the time, her eyes had been deliberately screwed shut, but now she opened them to find herself in one of the oddest places she'd ever seen, and coming from her that meant something.

She saw now that the floor was flawless marble, checkered with black and white. Or at least, Jenny _thought_ it was the floor that she was on. A silly thought, but completely justified because of the chess pieces. The tallest bigger than Jenny herself, and even the smallest-pawns, she recalled-were at least child-size. And they were everywhere, floor, walls, and ceiling.

Acting on autopilot, Jenny took a step forward and winced at the loud, echoing click it made. It looked as a battle had been fought recently; toppled pieces were scattered all across the enormous, three dimensional board. Oh, Jenny didn't know much about chess. Michael had tried to teach her once but not much of it had stuck. Still, she'd retained enough to know that those two tall pieces-opposite colors, opposite sides-were kings.

_Something's missing._

A disquieting feeling took hold as Jenny scanned room again and again. There was a piece missing, she was sure of it.

_What does it matter?_

She was standing alone on a giant chessboard, not a good time to sweat the small stuff. Still…

There had to be a way out of here. Jenny's fingers ghosted over the cool smoothness of chess pieces as she passed, bemused. Ah, there!

A large set of doors, gates, really. Jenny hurried over, shoes ticking away the steps.

_Damn it!_

Locked, of course. Jenny slammed her fists against the doors in annoyance. She wanted to shout something, but she couldn't stand the idea of so much noise in such cavernous room. The though seemed to sap her energy. Jenny sunk down to the floor, arms over knees. She might have stayed that way for a while if she hadn't noticed something…disturbing.

_The kings…where are they?_

On her feet again, so fast her stomach lurched. The kings, both of them, were completely gone.

_I have to get out of here._

A key. There had to be a key here somewhere. She got up and started half-frantically scouring the floor, because there couldn't _not_ be a way out of this place.

"I think she's looking for this."

Jenny had already whirled in the direction of the sound before she could register its strangeness. Not a normal voice-more like a robot, or a human's voice oversaturated with synthesizer. At the moment though, it didn't matter, as long as there was someone else with her in this monochrome hell. Besides, everything was strange here.

"I think you must be right-not that it will do _her_ any good."

It sounded like the same voice, making Jenny wonder if someone was having a conversation with themselves.

"Alright, who's _there_?" Jenny navigated around a cluster of rooks to find herself at the doors she left only moments ago. Except now, two figures-Jenny hesitated at calling them people-reclined against the locked doors. Their bodies were identical and sheathed in what appeared to be a smooth, modern-looking armor. Their faces were obscured by curving faceplates that ended in wicked-looking circles of spikes.

_Crowns,_ Jenny thought, _the kings. Of course._

Indeed, the only difference between the two beings was their colors: black and white and trimmed with onyx and pearl, respectively. Oh, why wasn't she surprised?

**Level Two Complete**

**3**

**Aiiiii! The number of reviews! It more than doubled from last time! *Squeeness* Ugh, I'm sorry, this was supposed to be longer, but I'm splitting it in two instead. I promise the next update will be soon-but it will be even sooner with the motivational power of reviews *winkwinknudgenudge***


	4. Yet Another Rabbit Hole

**I'm baaaaaack! I really did miss this story cause it's so fun, and I'm happy to be returning to it! It's not an especially long fic, so I'm hoping to finish it in a few months. Anyway, please enjoy and leave me all those lovely reviews!**

**OoO**

**Level Three: Yet Another Rabbit Hole**

"Do you know where the key is?" Jenny demanded of the Kings, "Tell me!"

"Naturally we know where it is…" The White King replied.

"But we certainly wouldn't tell you," The Black King finished.

"Why not?" A very frustrated Jenny asked, mentally adding 'chess pieces that talk' to the list of things that annoy her.

"Because it wouldn't be any fun!" The Kings said in unison. What followed was a weird, gargly-whirring noise that sounded like a wind-up toy being put through a blender.

_They're laughing at me_, Jenny realized, _Robot laughter. Yuck_.

"Well fine," Jenny snapped, I'll find it myself. I hope you both get caught in the rain and blow a circuit."

As she clicked angrily across the floor, Jenny noticed that the board had reset itself behind her back. Very freaky, but she would have to deal with that later. Jenny now had a good idea of where the key might be. Going on her hunch, Jenny scurried over to the white side of the room. The Queen was still missing.

_Or maybe_, Jenny thought with dawning realization, _she isn't_.

There, on the White Queen's tile, was a key, gleaming and white as a sun-bleached bone. Jenny stood triumphantly on the White Queen's space.

"Very good," An electronic voice sounded in Jenny's ear, "You've found your place in this game."

Jenny turned around and was shocked by what she saw: one King stood before her, split evenly down the middle between black and white.

_Like one of those cookies_, Jenny's brain babbled deliriously, _you know, with chocolate icing and one side and vanilla on the other. Ooh, actually, those are good. When we're done here, we should go to the bakery and-_

Jenny silenced her renegade thoughts with a mental glare.

_Sorry, _her brain returned sheepishly.

"But…you were just two people!" Jenny said to the King, "Black and White separately. Oh…I have such a headache."

"Dichotomy, Jenny," The Black and White Cooki-er, King said cryptically, "It's everything."

Jenny frowned. The way the King was talking reminded her of...someone. And how the hell did he know her name?

"Whatever," She sighed, willing to accept anything at this point, "at least I can open the door now."

"Oh, that won't be necessary," The King said lightly, and with that the tile beneath Jenny's feet disappeared, revealing a dark abyss below.

"_None of this makes any seeeeeeense!" _Jenny shouted as she plummeted into nothingness for the second time that night.

OoO

On the chessboard, Julian took the King's helmet off his head and smirked. He waved a hand, and the trapdoor closed itself again.

"It doesn't need to make any sense," he murmured, "This is my dream now, and it's only just begun."

Then Julian frowned. He would have to remember not to talk out loud to himself like that; it made him sound like a Disney Villain.

**Level Three Complete.**


	5. A Crossroads

**Level Four: A Crossroads**

**OoO**

This time, Jenny's landing was softened by a bed of flowers. Very, very strange flowers. Now, Jenny had always loved all things fragrant and blooming, but these plants were like nothing she'd ever seen, with oddly shaped petals, impossible colors, and exotic, dizzying scents. She reached over to touch what looked like an enlarged, blue and purple-striped tiger-lily, but its jagged petals snapped closed, effectively cutting Jenny's finger with their serrations.

_That flower just tried to bite me_, Jenny thought, shocked. Hurriedly, she picked herself up out of the decidedly dangerous flowerbed and looked around. After pushing back a curtain of orangey-red vines, she spotted what appeared to be a footpath—the only walkable path an a veritable ocean of flowers.

_Well, I guess it's better than nothing_, Jenny thought as she hacked her way through the blooms. When she reached the path, Jenny rewarded herself by plucking a harmless-looking, pink and yellow polka-dotted carnation that smelled of lemonade.

The blonde was happy to see a signpost on the trail with arrows pointing out two different directions; less happy when she saw what the arrows said: the left arrow had nothing but the word "Look" written on it, while the right arrow simply read "See."

_Those aren't directions,_ Jenny thought in frustration, _or even places._ She glared at the extremely unhelpful signs for a moment, then huffed in resignation.

"Aren't they both the same anyway?" She muttered as she chose the left path at random.

Jenny had been hoping to see some sign of civilization as she walked, but all she got was an endless jungle of flowers on both sides. However, as time wore on, the scenery did begin to change. Actually, it began to disappear. It wasn't that the landscape was becoming more barren, rather that a tenuous silver mist had begun to creep across the land like tendrils of invading ivy. Jenny kept walking in hopes that it would go way as she traipsed through it, but the fog only thickened, and with it Jenny's sense of dread. Still, she carried on because she'd already come so far.

When it got to the point where Jenny could no longer see the path below her feet (or, for that matter, her feet _on_ the path,) she stopped_. _As she looked frantically around at herself, Jenny realized she couldn't see _any _of her body, no matter how hard she squinted.

_Oh God, I really am blind now_, Jenny thought with irrational terror.

_No you ninny, it's the fog,_ Jenny's voice of reason snapped, but Jenny was to busy panicking.

_But I can't be blind. But I can't see any of myself! I have to feet...no legs...no arms or hands! My torso and chest are gone! I'm just a disembodied head! I'm not **even** a disembodied head—I 'm a pair of eyes! I'm—_

_**Slap!**_

That was the sound of Jenny's voice of reason mentally smacking her, thus ending her downward spiral into hysteria. Unfortunately, the return to clarity didn't help Jenny much in the long-run; she was still thoroughly blinded by fog with no way of knowing whether she was even _on_ the path.

"Oh God," Jenny murmured, choked by the hopelessness of her situation, "I'm lost. I'm completely lost."

Jenny had felt so totally lost, so cut off from everything, that she actually yelped when a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"And now you're found."

**OoO**

**Level Four Complete.**


	6. Riddling Mushroom Dweller

**Level Five: Encounter with a Riddling Mushroom Dweller**

**OoO**

"You know, fog is generally representative of some sort of emotional myopia," that voice—that painfully familiar, water-over-rock voice said in Jenny's ear, "Do you suppose you've been short-sighted about your feelings lately?"

"You sound like a cross between a fortune teller and my English teacher," Jenny groaned.

There was a chuckle, and the arms pulled Jenny backward so that she was basically perched on someone's lap. Her legs dangled, so she could only assume they were seated on a tall chair—a throne, perhaps.

"Hey!" Jenny protested, squirming, but the arms held her still.

"Now, hush. I'm here to help. I only just found you, and I don't want you getting lost in that fog again."

Jenny quieted, though was already getting sick of being lectured by this...whoever it was. Jenny knew she should remember—she knew that voice—but her head was strangely clouded. Now that Jenny had noticed this, she realized her thought process had been off-kilter ever since she'd started chasing whoever was in that damned coat...the coat! Jenny had followed whoever was wearing it into this crazy place, so maybe she could follow it out.

"Hey, have you seen anybody in a white fur-coat? Possibly carrying a pocket watch?" Jenny asked the mystery person, not caring that both the question and her current situation were kind of ridiculous.

"I guess you could say he's been though here," the voice said thoughtfully.

"Great! Where is he now?" Jenny asked, happy to be getting an answer to many questions piling up in her head.

"I wouldn't worry about where he is, so much as who he is," came the cryptic response.

"I don't need a fortune cookie—I need directions!" Jenny chastised.

The person laughed at her impatience, and Jenny was once again stricken by deja vu.

"You sound so familiar," she said, squinting up at where the person's face should be, "let me see you."

"Well, I would, but you chose to Look—not to See," the voice said in an obviously false apologetic tone, "see what a difference semantics make?"

"Whatever. All these riddles are giving me a migraine," Jenny, thoroughly ticked off by Mr. Mystery's mocking, pushed herself up to leave. When her hands sunk into a soft, damp, spongey material, she stopped. "What are we _sitting_ on?"

"A giant mushroom," the voice replied matter-of-factly.

"I'm not even surprised," Jenny sighed, then frowned. "Wait, _why___am I not surprised? If I was sane, I'd be freaking out right now, but I'm _not_. My head is so messed up..."

That's understandable," the voice reassured her, "thinking can be strange in dreams."

"Is that what all this is?" Jenny asked, equal parts relieved and confused, "A dream?"

"Yes," the voice answered, "but it's also real."

Jenny rubbed her temples, "There's that 'Riddle Migraine' again..."

This earned another annoying chuckle.

"Here. Eat this," Jenny felt another hand drop something cool and squishy into her own—a piece of mushroom, no doubt, "It should clear things up a bit."

Jenny snorted. "Yeah, right. As if I'm really dumb enough to eat mushrooms given to me by cryptic, invisible strangers."

"Do what you wish," said stranger replied, "but don't blame me if you get lost again."

With that, the arms released their grip, and Jenny slipped out of the Mystery Man's lap and off the mushroom. She felt cobblestone beneath her hands and knees. She was on the path again, but she was also back in the fog. Well...you win some, you lose some, right?

**OoO**

**Level Five Complete**


	7. It All Makes Sense

**Level Six: It All Makes Sense...But Not Really**

**OoO**

Thrust out into the fog once again, Jenny stumbled about with her arms flailing in front of her. She probably looked like a right imbecile, but it wasn't like anybody could see her, so why should she care? After a fair amount of tripping and bungling, Jenny thought, _Why not?_ And took a bight of the mushroom chunk clenched in her hands. No sooner had she swallowed the fungus than the haze around her started to dissipate, revealing the path she'd wandered off of about a quarter mile away.

Like her vision, Jenny's mind began to clear was well. It was akin to that first instant waking up in the morning—the switch up of dream logic for one's real world mindset. Except in this case, Jenny was _still in the dream_. Or whatever this was.

_Damn Julian to the lowest level of hell,_ Jenny thought furiously, because it was now painfully obvious that her shadow-stalker was the one behind this whole trippy debacle. Well, either him or psychosis. Jenny decided to assume the former, because it was marginally less unpleasant.

She remembered everything now—the prom, Julian's return, the second game, Audrey's disappearance...WAIT a minute.

_Audrey!_ Jenny thought, memories flashing through her brain like strobe lights, _Snarks and boojums! "Alice in Wonderland!"_

And there it was. Jenny didn't care how inane that trail of thoughts sounded out of context, because she was finally starting to put it all together. All of her experiences since reawakening God-knows-how-many hours ago could be traced back to that damnable book. Alice in f_reaking_ Wonderland. The man on the mushroom was like the hookah-smoking caterpillar; the two kings could be seen as Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum; the guy in the fur coat must have been the White Rabbit. And of course, Julian was playing all the parts.

_But...why?_

Sure, it was just the kind of crap Julian loved to pull, but what could he really be getting out of all this? What was his goal? What was he expecting from Jenny, anyway?

_It doesn't matter,_ Jenny thought as she began stomping over toward the path, _whatever game he's got in mind, I'm NOT playing._

**OoO**

Julian just had to laugh. Even thrashing through the mist like an escaped mental patient, Jenny Thornton was absolutely adorable. At last, she took a bite of the toadstool clump he'd so nicely given her. It was a mystical mushroom—you know, in the literal sense, not the sense that really means "drugs"—which Julian thought should have been obvious from its sheer size. Really, how many mushrooms in your neighborhood are large enough to pose as a poofy, somewhat sticky chair for two people?

Now he could see the fungus work its peculiar magic (once again, nothing to do with drugs...as far as Julian knew; he wasn't entirely clear on how these things worked.) He watched as shock, confusion, understanding, and fury took turns occupying Jenny's face. These expressions were the visual equivalent of music to Julian's ears, like having a front row seat to his favorite show. Julian wasn't sure which of them he liked best on her; they were all so entertaining, and, Julian thought with a grin, _she really is fun when she's angry_.

Then, when Jenny stormed off the the trail, Julian saw his love's beautiful face set in that mask of determination she wore so well.

_Now that one_, Julian thought, _has got to be my favorite._

**OoO**

"Feel." "Touch."

So said the two signs Jenny faced upon reaching the next fork. Which path Jenny chose was probably of importance to this game, and since Jenny most emphatically _refused_ to play along, she closed her eyes, spun around eleven times, and marched onward. When she reopened her eyes five paces later, Jenny didn't even look back to see which path she was on.

When it seemed that all signs pointed firmly away from sanity, leaving things up to chance couldn't hurt, right?

**OoO**

**Level Six Complete**

**Ahem. So yeah, short/boring/crappy filler chapter is short/boring/crappy. But don't worry, I promise the next chapter will be longer and much more eventful! Want a hint? It's Cheshire-Cat time. I'll leave it to you to wonder what sort of spin I put on that...**


	8. CATastrophe

**Okay, so this is easily the lulziest chapter I've written yet, and that's saying something. Oh, and a number have people have pointed out that Jenny is angrier in this fic than she is in the books. Well...she is. She just had a hell of a night thanks to Julian's reappearance, and now she's in a screwed up world where nothing makes sense, and Julian is making fun of her. Also, she got about 1.5 minutes of sleep. Yup, she's pretty pissed =D**

**Level Seven: CATastrophe!**

**OoO**

"Lost again, darling?" An amused voice floated to Jenny's ears from somewhere in the clearing she'd stumbled into.

The path she'd been on had become progressively more overgrown until there was no path at all. Now Jenny was in a shady grove with nothing but trees in sight. And of course Julian was here to rub it in. But...where was he? Jenny heard a peal of mocking laughter, but it seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. There was no visible sign of the shadow-jerk.

"Julian! Get your ass out here!" Jenny shouted, too annoyed to be diplomatic.

"Well, if you're so eager to see me..." Came the response. Next thing Jenny knew, Julian was lounging on a tree branch right above her.

"...Oh God," was all Jenny could say.

Julian was wearing what could only be described as a full-body catsuit made of shiny black leather so skintight, it probably cut off his respiratory functions. Jenny's brain exploded and fizzed out her ears. Julian waited patiently for Jenny's brain juice to regroup and solidify.

_The worst part of this, _Jenny thought deliriously, _is that he looks good. Really good. Damn him for looking that good._

"What is..._that?_" Jenny choked out.

"Oh, the costume?" Julian looked down at himself, as though just noticing his ensemble, "You know, when this game was still in the concept stages, I made something like it for you—but with less leather."

"What _else_ would something like that be made of?"

"I never said it wasn't leather," Julian reminded her with a wicked grin, "just that there was _less_ of it."

"..."

Really, what does one say to something like that?

"Why don't you come up here so we can talk better?" Julian suggested, and the next thing Jenny knew, she was sitting on the tree branch beside him.

"Hey—!" Jenny started to protest but was distracted by something. When she'd first caught sight of Julian, his outfit had commanded all her attention, but now she noticed something equally bizarre about his appearance. You see, he had cat ears. Furry white cat ears protruding from his head in place of his normal ears.

_Very realistic looking,_ Jenny thought despite herself. Then she saw one of the ears twitch.

"Are those _real_?" She gasped.

"Of course," Julian said, as though spontaneously sprouting cat ears was totally normal.

"Can I..." Jenny raised her hand. She was entranced by the fluffy appendages and wanted so badly to touch them. She always had loved cats...

"By all means," Julian said, tilting his head to give the blonde better access. Tentatively, Jenny brushed one of the ears with her finger.

"Soft," she murmured. Jenny couldn't help herself—she started stroking Julian's ears the way she would those of her own cat. They were just...so...cute! After a few minutes of blissful petting, Jenny heard a low rumble. She froze, looking around for the source of the peculiar noise.

"Pardon me," Julian said sheepishly.

"Did you just...purr?" Jenny demanded. All of a sudden, she became aware of where she was, what she was doing, and with who. Snapping out of her feline-induced daze, Jenny looked Julian in the eyes. "I need to talk to you."

"I'm all ears," Julian punned.

Jenny ignored the bad wordplay but kept absentmindedly petting Julian, who seemed to cuddle into her touches like a real cat. "Why are you doing all of this? What's the point of this game?"

"What can I say? I'm a Lewis Carroll fan," Julian purred, enjoying Jenny's ministrations "this game, Jenny, is just for fun."

"Well, I'm not playing," Jenny insisted, though this episode with the cat hears had softened her considerably.

"But you are, Jenny," Julian's voice was low, almost throaty, and there was a triumphant undertone to it, "that path you chose—it was touch. And look what you're doing now."

Jenny stopped her petting. "_Damn_ it."

"This game is like the last," Julian went on, "you don't get out until you win."

Well now, that changes everything. The last thing Jenny wanted was to be stuck in this deranged, acid-trip-tastic world forever, especially not with the likes of Julian.

"So what do I do now?" Jenny asked, resigned.

"Another path, another choice, another level," Julian replied lazily, motioning to a trail had that had suddenly materialized at the edge of the clearing. Jenny could make out two sights announcing "Taste" and "Eat."

"I guess you won't tell me which one is right," Jenny sighed.

Julian laughed softly. "It doesn't actually matter which one you choose."

"Because either way it'll be you in a stupid costume?" Jenny suggested.

Julian bit back an amused smile. "No, dear Jenny. Because all of your paths lead to me."

And then he disappeared, leaving Jenny sitting on a branch with cat hair all other her clothes.

**OoO**

**Level Seven Complete**

**Oh yeah, Neko!Julian...in a catsuit. You know you want one. Next chapter is the Mad Hatter!**


	9. We're All Mad Here

**Level Eight: We're All Mad Here**

Jenny didn't need to be a rocket technician to figure out that this next persona was the Mad Hatter. She found herself in yet another clearing, this one occupied by a long banquet table stuffed with plates and platters of tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries. Also, upwards of thirty tea pots of varying shapes and sizes, plus hundreds of little porcelain cups

At the far end of the table sat Julian. The Shadow Man had his chunky, cyber-punk style boots propped up on the tabletop, effectively squishing a tray of brightly frosted cupcakes. Jenny couldn't see Julian's face beneath the big, bedecked top hat perched haphazardly on his head, but she knew he must be loving this.

As though he'd been reading Jenny's mind, Julian grinned. "I must admit, this is my favorite bit yet."

"It's the role you were born to play," Jenny agreed with feigned solemnity, "at least, you don't need to alter your personality much."

Julian's grin widened. "Care to sit down?" He motioned to a rococo-esque chair beside his own.

With only a little trepidation, Jenny made her way over to the seat. She got a better look at Julian's newest outfit—a dress shirt with the sleeves ripped off, tailored pants tucked into those absurd boots, and a comically large, floppy bow tie striped with black and sky-blue. The whole get-up should have looked goofy, yet Julian somehow pulled it off. Once again, Jenny cursed the Shadow Man's ability to look incredibly hot in just about any ridiculous thing he chose to wear.

"Tea?" Julian offered, and Jenny nodded. It would be almost blasphemous to decline in such a setting, and those little glass vials of neon liquid at the table's center were just too suspicious, even without their attached "Drink Me" tags.

With a flourish, Julian produced a tall silver pot with a long neck, seemingly out of nowhere. He poured the steaming liquid into the tea cup on Jenny's place mat. From this close, she could see the plethora of objects decorating his two-sizes-too-big hat. There were playing cards, ribbons, chess pieces, fake birds, wrapped candies, a toy car, and a pocket watch that dangled down the brim. Jenny also noted a pair of criss-crossing black belts over his waist containing strange, sharp tools that were presumably used in the business of Hatter-ing.

"So, I suppose I have to taste something," Jenny said, taking a cautious sip of her tea after Julian sampled his. Lavender and Thyme. Jenny located a pot of honey and spooned some into her cup.

"Be my guest," Julian invited lazily, making a sweeping gesture over the table. Jenny nodded once again and turned her attention to a nearby cake platter. The treats really did look delicious, so she chose slivers of red velvet, carrot, and angel food cake. She threw a wary look at Julian, who stared back coolly. Deciding to get it over with already, Jenny took a forkful of rich, red cake and cream cheese icing.

"Oh, my," Jenny murmured, simultaneously shocked and amused. She was now wearing a red velvet jumpsuit.

From his seat, Julian shrugged. "Nothing is what it seems. Or, everything is _exactly_ what it seems." The Shadow Man looked close to laughing, and Jenny realized she was as well.

"How do I go back?" She wondered. Her new ensemble was funny, but it wasn't exactly her style.

"That would be telling," Julian smirked.

Jenny made a face at him. On a hunch, she took another sip of tea, and as she suspected, her previous look was restored. It was childish, but suddenly she was excited to try the other selections.

"Eh...what's up, Doc?" Jenny mimed after a nibble of carrot cake caused her to sprout bunny ears and a fluffy tail.

"Great look," Julian said straight-faced, "I think you should keep it."

Jenny smiled, and it took her by surprise. She was having _fun_. With _Julian_. Of all the insane things...

Another sip of tea and another bite.

"Ah, now this one...this one suits you," Julian pronounced, and his tone was only half-jokng. The angel food cake resulted in a pair of small, white feathered wings unfurling from Jenny's back.

"I like these too," Jenny agreed, "you ought to try the devil's food cake. It would all be very fitting."

"I couldn't agree more," Julian looked at her with smiling eyes, "but aren't you in a rush?"

"Oh, yes," Jenny had almost forgotten. She swigged the rest of her tea and got up hurriedly. "Er...thank you. This was...nice."

"Any time, M'dear," Julian tipped his hat playfully. He watched Jenny with searing eyes as she turned to leave.

Jenny made her way around the table, all the while marveling at the change of pace. All this time, Julian had seemed so normal—so _human_. She'd almost forgotten who she was really with. As she rounded the curve, though, Jenny started to feel strange. Perhaps the food wasn't agreeing with her stomach? She didn't feel ill necessarily...just a bit disoriented...dizzy...

"You should be careful how you interpret things," A smooth, liquid voice said in Jenny's ear. All of a sudden, Julian's arms were around her. Jenny gave a shocked cry of protest as he scooped her up and set her down at the edge of the table, then another as he pushed her down to lie on it. "You assumed the sign that said 'Taste' was directing _you_..."

Jenny's head had fallen onto a tray of cream puffs. She watched as Julian climbed up over her, his knees pinning her hips in place. On the way, one of his hands squashed a raspberry tart.

"When really, Jenny," Julian went on, stroking the blonde's cheek, leaving a tail of raspberry sauce as red as blood down her face, "it's me that will be doing the tasting."

**Level Eight Complete.**


	10. Sugar Rush

**Level Nine: Sugar Rush**

Jenny's brain was still spinning, but she could understand the situation just fine. One of her hands had fallen in a dish of chocolate mousse; she lashed out with it, aiming to slap Julian across the face, but he caught her wrist just in time. With a wolfish grin, the Shadow Man flipped Jenny's captive hand over and ran the tip of his tongue down the heel of her palm to her fingertip, scooping the fluffy chocolate substance into his mouth. The motion sent a shiver through Jenny's body.

Well, Jenny still had one hand left. She shoved it into a strawberry shortcake, grabbing a fistful of of the dessert and chucking it at Julian's face. He managed to dodge, but the chunk of cake still hit his chest with a _splat._ Jenny grinned; her circumstances weren't any better, but it was still kind of funny. In the next instant, though, the blob of shortcake plopped from Julian's chest onto the table beneath, right between Jenny's legs. Now it was Julian's turn to smirk.

"Oh, no," Jenny mumbled.

"Oh, yes," Julian returned. He hiked Jenny's skirt up, revealing a pair of white undershorts with tiers of patterned lace.

Jenny gave a shriek that may have been of shock, protest, pleasure, or laughter as Julian lapped up the white frosting and red syrup that had splattered over Jenny's inner thighs. She gasped when his teeth brushed her leg to remove a sugared strawberry that had fallen.

"That's enough!" Jenny got out breathlessly as Julian's mouth ventured too high up, "Enough!"

Jenny didn't know whether she was relieved or disappointed when he did in fact move away.

"This isn't the time for speaking," Julian murmured, once again looming above Jenny. Jenny opened her mouth retort, and Julian used to opportunity to slip a bonbon between her lips. Out of instinct, Jenny bit down. Peanut butter and caramel. Julian smiled triumphantly. "That will do for now."

As Jenny worked at the candy, Julian grabbed a squat, golden teapot from a its place on the table. His eyes glittered wickedly as he tipped it, pouring the pot's contents over Jenny's sprawled body. Jenny squirmed when the piping hot liquid hit her bare skin. Tea soaked her dress, leaving brown stains and an oddly pleasant warmth over Jenny's chest and torso. Caught in the insanity of the moment, Jenny opened her mouth wide. At the very least, it would help wash down the candy.

Vanilla and red currant. The tea burned Jenny's mouth, but she was beyond caring. Meanwhile, her previous wriggling had caused a plate of scones to tip. The pastries mostly bounced off Jenny's body, but the little mounds of jam and crème fraiche plopped square onto her neck and chest. Jenny didn't have time to react before Julian grabbed hold of her dress, simply tearing open down the middle. Little pearl buttons jumped and scattered across the table. The blue material gave way to an opalescent white corset. Julian took a moment to drink in the sight before grabbing a butter knife from the fallen plate, using the utensil to spread the fixings up over Jenny's neck and down over the tops of her breasts.

"Oh God," Jenny breathed, scarcely even aware of it. Julian gave her a chiding look, and Jenny remembered she wasn't supposed to be talking. To assure Jenny's silence, Julian snatched a canister of whipped cream.

"Say 'Ah,'" he teased. Jenny pursed her lips in denial, so Julian (rather childishly) tickled her ribs. As Jenny giggled, he slipped the nozzle into her mouth and pressed down, only letting up when a small mountain of whipped topping rose from Jenny's parted lips. With a whimsical flourish, he plopped a maraschino cherry on top of the pile.

"Omphujdge!" Jenny protested indignantly. Julian beamed at her before attacking her neck and chest with his own mouth.

Jenny found herself moaning against the mound of cream as Julian licked, kissed, sucked, and nipped at the sensitive skin. He'd cleared most of the jam and crème away and was now concentrating on the base of Jenny's neck...then the hollow of her throat...then the cleavage edging out of the corset. Too far gone to think about what she was doing, Jenny wrapped her legs around Julian's waist, pulling him closer.

Julian gave her a billion-watt smile before diving down to crush his lips against hers. The kiss was more passionate, more heated than any others they'd shared. It was a _hungry_ kiss. It tasted like sugar. Jenny moaned against Julian's lips, and he growled against hers. Something like a firework went off in the back of Jenny's head, and then...she fainted.

**OoO**

Julian peered down at the now-unconscious Jenny.

"Well, I guess the fun is over," he murmured. "For now, anyway."

Tenderly, he brushed the wisps of blonde, honey-colored hair behind Jenny's ears. Honey...that was what Jenny always put in her tea. Julian had known that, and so had seasoned it accordingly. He hadn't known exactly what effect the grande wormwood would have on Jenny; it was just a variable to make the game more interesting. Indeed, it had.

Julian pushed himself off the table and stared down at his love for another moment. She wouldn't be out for long—he hadn't put much of the herb in the honey, just to be safe, so he'd best make a quick exit. She would be steaming mad, when she woke up, of course. Julian very much looked forward to it.

"Just imagine how much more fun things would have been," Julian murmured to Jenny's sleeping form, "if you'd only picked 'Eat.'"

**Level Nine Complete.**


	11. Oh, You Tricky Knave

**...Wow. This story is almost done! Only one more chapter after this one. Enjoy and review =]**

**Level Ten: Oh, You Tricky Knave**

When Jenny woke up, there was a cream puff stuck in her hair, and she had the Headache from Hell. One of the little "Drink Me Vials" was wedged in the cleavage swelling from her corset.

"Cute, Julian, real cute," she grumbled, taking the vial and hitching up the corset. She examined the vial's luminescent purple liquid before shrugging; she'd already been drugged once, so what did she have to lose? Jenny uncorked it and sipped. All of a sudden, her headache was gone, and she felt rejuvenated.

_This,_ Jenny thought as she hopped of the table, _is good stuff._

Now she could see the blue dress and pinafore lying ripped and tea-stained on the ground. Jenny had never been particularly fond of the outfit, so she didn't count it as any great loss. She groaned, however, upon remembering what she was left wearing.

_I look like the ingenue in a bad, softcore porno,_ Jenny lamented, looking down at her pearly white corset, frilly bloomer shorts, striped stockings, and garters (also frilly!) Then, Jenny caught sight of herself in an upturned silver platter and was shocked. She looked...kinda hot.

_Maybe I could keep this get-up for Halloween or something,_ Jenny mused, _with wings and a halo, I could be a sexy angel._

The thought was irrelevant and nonsensical, but it rose Jenny's spirits as she set off down an unmarked path that had materialized in the clearing. Jenny knew she ought to feel guilty, embarrassed, upset, disgusted, or _something_ about what had just happened, but really she couldn't muster up any emotion besides anger at being drugged. Technically, she and Tom _were_ broken up, and to say that Jenny had enjoyed her last encounter with Julian would be putting it lightly—Jenny wasn't going to go to the trouble of lying to herself about that. And, well...

"It _is_ only a dream," Jenny muttered as she made her way down the trail.

**OoO**

"You roofied me," Jenny accused Julian when she next caught sight of him.

"Hardly," the Shadowman replied, not bothering to hide his smug grin, "Grande Wormwood has been known to reduce inhibitions in some cases, and large doses can have hallucinogenic effects, but I didn't use nearly enough to cause that sort of reaction."

"I passed out," Jenny said flatly.

"Hm, yes. You are a lightweight," Julian frowned, "are you seeing pink elephants? Unicorns? The ghost of Oscar Wilde?"

"That's so not the point." Despite her best efforts to stay angry, Jenny's mood lightened. "So, what is this now? You're a...gardening knight?"

The path Jenny took had opened from a woodland trail into an expanse of rolling hills before becoming restricted once again, this time by tall rose bushes lining either side. When Jenny came upon Julian, he'd been trimming one of the bushes with a long, white spear that came to a sharp red point on one end and a pair of crimson shears on the other. He was wearing white chain-mail and shiny red leather pants, along with white metal knee spikes and boots. His mouth twitched up at Jenny's question.

"Not quite. Why don't you follow me? The game isn't over yet."

"Do I really have a choice?" Jenny sighed as Julian started walking. The Shadowman just chuckled in response and kept going.

"So I guess I won't be doing any painting, then?" Jenny asked, dodging thorny vines as she jogged to keep up with Julian on the narrow, rose-bush lined path. The floral scent was overwhelming.

"I'm sorry?" Julian returned, amused.

"You know, 'Painting the Roses Red,'" Jenny elaborated, "I guess you couldn't think of an interesting enough way to interpret it, so you're just cutting the scene?

Julian paused to look back at the blonde, "Oh, on the contrary. If you would like to take a break, I could show you a _very _interesting interpretation for 'painting a white rose red.'"

Jenny frowned, then she got it. Her nose wrinkled. "Gross."

Julian nearly bowed. "Well, I am the _Knave_ of Hearts."

Jenny rolled her eyes. Times like these reminded her that Julian _was_ a guy—an evil, immortal guy with magic powers, but a guy nonetheless. As she thought this, Jenny nearly bumped into Julian, who'd stopped walking. They'd reached the end of their path and come face to face with a thick, wrought-iron gate. When she looked up, Jenny could see the shimmering red and black spires of a distant castle.

"Well, here we are," Julian said, pulling out a key and unlocking the gate, "The Castle of Hearts."

Jenny smiled—finally, this ordeal would be over. She felt a surge of triumph.

_Creeeeak_

The gates pulled away, and Jenny stared, momentarily speechless. Between her and the far-off castle was a labyrinthine maze of rosebushes. "This is insane," she muttered, scarcely believing the situation.

"You didn't honestly expect me to make it _easy_ for you, did you?" Julian asked, smirking.

Jenny turned for a retort, but Julian had already disappeared.

_Bastard._

**Level Ten Complete**


	12. Our Wonderland

**The final chapter! I hope everybody enjoys. This story has been super fun to work on, but I'm glad to be finishing it. Thank you not only putting up with my insanity, but _enjoying _it. I love you guys. Happy Halloween.**

**The quote in _italics_ is excerpted from the end of _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ by William Shakespeare, which I do not own. Nor, do I own Forbidden Game. It belongs to L.J. Smith.**

**Level Eleven: Our Wonderland**

Jenny burst into the Castle of Hearts, breathing heavily and cursing Julian with ever step. The maze had been torture. Now Jenny could see that she was in some sort of throne room with a floor of black marble and walls painted blood-red. Tapestries and drapings that matched the color scheme decorated the walls, and sanguine light poured in from red stained-glass windows. It looked simply unholy—a posh rendition of hell.

Jenny stomped up the narrow walkway of crimson carpeting to the base of an enormous black-lacquered throne carved in a baroque style and encrusted with garnets. Julian slouched sideways on the throne, black-booted feet dangling over the edge. His shirt and pants were skintight black leather, and he wore a ground sweeping cloak of red velvet. Hundreds of rubies glittered from his crown, belt, rings, and scepter, all of which were wrought from gold. He glanced down at Jenny as she approached.

"Welcome," Julian drawled lazily, "to my Kingdom."

"The King of Hearts, huh?" Jenny replied, still flushed from exertion, "I was terrified that I'd get here and find you in drag."

Julian laughed. "Now _that_ would be absurd."

"I wouldn't put it past you," Jenny muttered, then straightened up. She was still buzzing with adrenaline and ready to take on the final level of this ungodly game. "Well, let's get on with it. What do I have to do now?"

Julian looked surprised. He moved so that he was sitting properly on the throne. "Why, nothing. This is the end of the game. You're free to go."

Jenny was stunned. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but she'd expected _something._ Some sort of wordplay on "Off with her head," or a variation of the croquet game in which "flamingo" is a euphemism for God-knows-what. Anything, really, other than nothing. And Jenny was _disappointed_. It just wasn't fair, for Julian to cut things off with this, without any closure. It was so abrupt, so unlike Julian, and it left Jenny with this terrible frustration. There had to be more.

"I am," Jenny repeated slowly, "free to go."

"Of course," Julian's velvet-clad shoulders rose and fell in an elegant shrug, "as I said, the game is over. You've won, and now you may leave."

"But—but," Jenny floundered, "What was all this then? What was the point of this game?"

Julian's lashes drooped, shielding his eyes. He may have been amused, annoyed, or disappointed, from what Jenny could tell. "You still don't get it, do you? The point, my dear Jenny, is that there is no point. I created this game for the same reason any game is created—for fun. I wanted to play with you without any stakes or threats or what-have-you. I wanted, quite simply, for us to have fun together."

This monologue only served to further Jenny's bemusement. Now though, when Jenny thought back on it, she realized that this game _had_ been fun, in its own warped way. Even when it made Jenny want to tear her hair out in anger, it had never frightened her. Julian, as well, had never been scary, the way he usually was. She'd seen...a bit of a lighter side of him tonight. And now he was looking at her with those impenetrable lashes masking his eyes, as though he didn't want Jenny to guess at what he was thinking.

So Jenny had something of a choice in front of her. She could leave now, and all this would be as distant and intangible as a dream, one that she might look back on with either pleasure or annoyance. Or, Jenny could take a chance. Well...

"You know, I kinda liked that Cheshire Cat costume."

Julian blinked up, grinning like the aforementioned feline. "Yeah?"

Jenny nodded. "You mentioned that you had another version of it...in my size?"

"Oh, I said that, did I?" Julian beamed, "yes. And it's really not that terribly revealing. That is, the spots between the actual material are filled in with pink fishnet."

Jenny had resolved to be brave, and she refused to let Julian goad her into chickening out. "I think we should both wear those costumes. And we should do..."

Julian leaned forward on the throne, eager to see how Jenny would finish that proposal. "Yes...?"

"...Something."

"Something."

**OoO**

To put it frankly, there were a lot of very confused people at Vista Grand's 24-hour IHOP that morning.

**OoO**

"_If we shadows have offended,_

_Think but this, and all is mended,_

_That you have but slumbr'd here_

_While these visions did appear._

_And this weak and idle theme,_

_No more yielding than a dream..."_

**GAME COMPLETE**

"...And maybe we can play this sort of game again sometime..."


End file.
